The local government elections in Anambra State faced significant setbacks on Saturday due to the late arrival of officials from the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) at polling units statewide.

Although ANSIEC had previously announced that voting would begin at 8 am and conclude by 4 pm, many polling units remained unattended as late as 8:50 am.

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In Awka, a reporter on the ground found no indication that elections were underway at several polling locations.

For instance, at Ukwu Orji Government House, while police officers were on-site, ANSIEC ad-hoc staff had yet to arrive by 9 am.

Polling units impacted by this delay included Aroma Ward Three, Odoagba Ward One, and Unizik Junction Polling Unit.

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In Iyiowa/Odekpe, located in Ogbaru Local Government Area, there were no signs of ANSIEC personnel, security forces, or electoral materials by 9 am, and only a single APGA party agent was present.

The combination of the late start and a noticeable lack of voter engagement, with many residents participating in monthly sanitation activities or attending to their businesses, cast a pall over the elections.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize Chief Olusola Ebiseni and Dayo Awude as the Labour Party’s (LP) candidates for the upcoming governorship election scheduled for November 16.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the ruling during a hearing of a joint suit brought against INEC by the Labour Party candidates.

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He asserted that Ebiseni and Awude are entitled to all rights and privileges associated with their candidacy for the election.

In the suit number, FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, Justice Nwite upheld the validity of the second primary election conducted by the Labour Party, which resulted in the selection of Ebiseni and Awude as candidates.

He noted that Ebiseni had deposited N20 million into the United Bank for Africa (UBA) account of the Labour Party to secure his nomination form and was subsequently issued the necessary documentation for the primary.

The judge further revealed that the Labour Party had instructed Ebiseni to pay N5 million to Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as reimbursement for expenses incurred upon his withdrawal from the race.

Justice Nwite criticized the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party for attempting to disavow the new primary election that legitimately produced Ebiseni and Awude.

He emphasized that they had fulfilled all prerequisites for candidacy.

Consequently, the court ordered INEC to accept the nominations of Ebiseni and Awude and to publish their names as the official candidates of the Labour Party for the forthcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), led by Sly Ezeokenwa, has condemned the alleged suspension of Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo by factional chairman Edozie Njoku, labeling it as delusional.

Ezeokenwa made these remarks during a press conference held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, responding to Njoku’s recent announcement suspending Governor Soludo and his supporters from the party.

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Describing the situation as laughable, Ezeokenwa criticized Njoku for presuming to suspend legitimate party members, including the party’s national leader.

He stated, “We categorically condemn Chief Edozie Njoku’s reckless statements against Governor Chukwuma Soludo and other party members.”

He further emphasized, “It is regrettable to witness the farcical and delusional behavior of Chief Njoku, who claimed to have suspended esteemed members of APGA, including myself, Barr. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, and Dr. Alex Obiogbulu.”

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According to Ezeokenwa, Njoku’s purported suspension lacks any legitimate authority and is a desperate attempt to distract from his own shortcomings.

“Let us be clear: Edozie Njoku has no right to suspend loyal and dedicated members of our party. His actions demonstrate a misguided attempt to control a party of which he is not even a member.”

Ezeokenwa likened Njoku’s claims to “an intruder attempting to evict homeowners from their own property,” describing such audacity as unfounded and offensive to the integrity of APGA.

He reiterated that the party would not allow anyone or any group that does not embody APGA’s spirit of service to undermine the sacrifices of its founding members.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended former Taraba State Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, in connection with a N27 billion fraud case.

He is set to face trial on 15 charges, including criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and public fund diversion.

According to a source close to the EFCC, Ishaku’s arrest is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to address corruption within Nigeria’s public sector.

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The source confirmed that Ishaku is currently in EFCC custody and will be arraigned in court to answer the charges.

The alleged misconduct took place between 2015 and 2021, during Ishaku’s tenure as governor, and involves funds belonging to both the Taraba State Government and Local Government Councils.

Among the allegations are the diversion of N1.01 billion from the 2.5% contingency fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between August 2015 and March 2016.

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Ishaku is also accused of misappropriating N1.138 billion from the same fund between July 2015 and May 2019 and diverting N193 million from the Donga Local Government Council.

Additional charges include the misappropriation of N650 million from the Gassol Local Government Council, N170 million from the Gashaka Local Government Council, and N201 million from the Ardo Kola Local Government Council.

Ishaku is further alleged to have used N3.348 billion from Local Government funds for personal purposes and diverted N639 million for his own use.

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Moreover, the former governor allegedly used N23 million of Taraba State funds to purchase a duplex in Abuja and applied N761 million to repay a loan for his company, Worthy Construction Limited.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed Ishaku’s arrest but declined to provide additional details.

The charges, seen by Saturday Vanguard, describe how Ishaku, while serving as governor, misappropriated public funds entrusted to him, including the misdirection of significant sums to personal and business interests.

Ishaku’s trial is expected to begin shortly, and if found guilty, he could face serious legal consequences for the alleged offenses.

Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has clarified that President Bola Tinubu did not remove the petrol subsidy, though he was the one who publicly declared it was no longer in effect.

Speaking on Channels TV on Friday, Dogara explained that while Tinubu made the announcement during his inauguration, the removal of the subsidy had already occurred prior to his election, as there was no allocation for it in the budget approved by the National Assembly before Tinubu assumed office.

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Dogara stated, “Before the President was elected, there was no provision for subsidy payment in the national budget. He didn’t remove the subsidy; it was no longer in existence by the time he took office.”

He added that the decision to remove the subsidy was a necessary step for the country’s progress, even though it had led to noticeable economic hardships for Nigerians.

“The issue with Nigeria is that people focus only on the problems and not the solutions. Everyone discusses the challenges without talking about how to resolve them,” Dogara remarked.

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On the implications of the subsidy removal, Dogara stressed that there was no legal provision for its continuation, and any claims suggesting that Tinubu suspended the subsidy were inaccurate.

He said, “The truth is, he (Tinubu) wasn’t the one who removed it. The subsidy had already been removed before he even took office, as there was no provision for it in the budget.”

Dogara highlighted the constitutional backing of the budget, noting that without subsidy payments in the approved budget, it was impossible to continue funding the subsidy program.

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Crossdresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has responded to social critic Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), after the latter released a voice recording accusing him of bribing Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials with N15 million to have his money laundering charges dropped.

In the recording, Bobrisky allegedly boasted about evading prison time and claimed that his godfather had arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a lodge instead.

The recording went viral on Tuesday, sparking controversy.

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However, Bobrisky quickly denied the accusations, stating that the voice recording was fake and that he had, in fact, served time in prison.

On Friday, Bobrisky took to his Instagram Story to call out VeryDarkMan, rejecting the emotional tactics employed by the critic.

He wrote: “VeryDarkMan, all your emotional blackmail won’t work this time around.”

He continued, “Just because I chose to remain calm doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you.”

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In another post, Bobrisky firmly stated that no one could drive away his supporters with false claims and manipulations.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has launched a formal investigation into the matter and invited both Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan to its Lagos office to assist with the probe.